Matthew Paul D'Agostino
Today, Israel launched a full military takeover of Gaza City, further escalating famine and a genocide against Palestinians that has unfolded over nearly two years. This assault comes on the same day the United Nations International Commission of Inquiry confirmed what Palestinians and human rights organizations have long documented: Israel has committed genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
The new Israeli military invasion of Gaza City will compound the suffering of a population already struggling to survive. Dozens of Palestinians have already been killed since the start of this latest assault. Hospitals are being cut off and shelters and schools bombed. Aid convoys continue to be blocked. Buildings are being systematically destroyed, as Israel appears intent on razing Gaza City entirely, as it has done to Rafah and other areas. Thousands of Palestinians—including AFSC’s own staff members—are being forced to flee once again. Those who can’t escape will be left to die.
Israel’s takeover of Gaza City is taking place amid nearly two years of systematic destruction of any means of survival. Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed almost 65,000 Palestinians, destroyed more than 90% of homes, and collapsed health care, water, and sanitation systems. Although famine has been declared in Gaza, Israel continues to block humanitarian aid just miles from starving civilians.
The U.N. Commission's findings are clear: Israeli authorities and security forces committed four of the five genocidal acts defined by the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. These acts include: killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of the Palestinians in whole or in part, and imposing measures intended to prevent births.
As a Quaker organization that has worked in Gaza since 1948, we have supported Palestinians in building schools, farms, neighborhoods, kindergartens and a thriving civil society—only to watch belligerent forces dismantle what took decades to create. Our fundamental belief in the divine worth of every person leads us to demand an end to these atrocities. The world has a moral obligation and legal responsibility to stop this genocide. The absence of action amounts to complicity.
All states are obligated to take action to stop genocides when they occur. We therefore urge action by the United States and the international community to take immediate action to end Israel’s genocide in Gaza and to hold Israeli leaders and military officials responsible for their crimes. We also call on the U.S. and the international community to:
- Stop all weapons transfers and military trade with Israel.
- Demand immediate, full, and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza
- Impose targeted sanctions on Israel until there is an end to genocide, apartheid, and the military occupation.
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The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) promotes a world free of violence, inequality, and oppression. Guided by the Quaker belief in the divine Light within each person, we nurture the seeds of change and the respect for human life to fundamentally transform our societies and institutions. We work with people and partners worldwide, of all faiths and backgrounds, to meet urgent community needs, challenge injustice, and build peace.